Nasca culture

Nasca culture flourished on the coastal plain of southern Peru
between 200 BC and AD 600. The main centres were concentrated in
the valleys of Acarí, Ica, Nasca, Pisco and Chincha. The capital,
Cahuachi, one of the largest Nasca centres, was located inland on
the south bank of the Nazca River and had agricultural terraces and
public buildings made of adobe. Other known sites are Dos Palmos,
Huaca del Loro, Cerro Soldado and Tambo Viejo.

Very large drawings (geoglyphs), traced on the desert near the
modern town of Nasca, first brought this culture to public
attention. The 'Nasca lines' depict animals (such as fish,
reptiles, birds and monkeys), geometrical designs and human
figures. Some of the drawings are a hundred metres or more in
length and can only be seen without distortion from the air. Their
meaning and function are still debated, but are thought to be
linked to the location of acquifers and springs

The iconography and symbolism represented by the Nasca lines are
mirrored on polychrome pottery and textiles, with motifs portraying
local fauna and plants, scenes related to subsistence activities,
supernatural beings and deities associated with water and
agricultural fertility. Water was vital for Nasca subsistence,
which depended mainly on a diet of maize. The rivers were not a
reliable source to sustain the levels needed to feed the local
population and a network of irrigation canals made it possible to
practise intensive agriculture.